Disney faces another lawsuit over water slide ride after ‘painful wedgie’ incident

Lawsuit claims woman suffered brain injury after falling unconscious on ride

Disney's Typhoon Lagoon (Landon McReynolds, WKMG)

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is facing another lawsuit over its Humunga Kowabunga water slide at Typhoon Lagoon, according to court records filed on Monday.

Records show that a guest — Laura Reyes-Merino — visited the water park on May 11, and she went tubing on the Humunga Kowabunga: a high-speed waterslide with a near-vertical, five-story drop.

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She fell unconscious after “banging inside the ride,” and her limp body was discovered by her fiancé and mother at the end, the lawsuit stated.

“The attendants told (Reyes-Merino’s) fiancé and mother that they were not lifeguards and would have to find lifeguards to help,” the lawsuit read. “As they were all waiting for help, blood kept coming out of (Reyes-Merino’s) mouth in the water.”

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According to court records, the fiancé pulled her from the water. Once a lifeguard came, they said they couldn’t help or touch Reyes-Merino, so an ambulance had to be called, the lawsuit claimed.

“Had (Disney) had lifeguards at the end of the ride to watch and help guests coming off the ride, (Reyes-Merino’s) brain injury would not have occurred as she wouldn’t have been drowning in the water coughing up blood,” the lawsuit stated.

As a result of the incident, Reyes-Merino is seeking over $50,000 in damages — along with costs, interest and attorneys’ fees.

Last year, another lawsuit was filed against Disney over a “painful wedgie” suffered on the Humunga Kowabunga ride.

During that case, a woman had visited the park for her 30th birthday, though her lawsuit claims the impact of the slide caused her swimsuit to “be painfully forced between her legs and for water to be violently forced inside her.”

She was later taken to a hospital and was treated by a specialist for the injuries, ultimately suffering severe lacerations, damage to her internal organs and a hernia, according to that lawsuit.

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